I wish you a joyous Easter Season and a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life.

Easter is a season of great joy and hope, a time of new beginnings, of God's forgiveness and love. And how much we are in need of such good news in our families, neighborhoods, schools and workplaces. How much we need to hear it first in our own hearts.

In one of His appearances after the Resurrection, Jesus asked Peter (who had miserably failed his Master three times by denying Him), "Do you love Me?" With that, Peter realized that he was still loved by Jesus. He stopped gazing at his own wounds and failures. He knew he was a sinner, but he chose to cease gazing upon his own wounds, and instead to gaze upon the wounds of his Lord so as to discover there the glory of the cross, the victory of Life over death. (Benedict XVI paraphrased) This decision to look at the wounds of Jesus rather than at his own freed him to love those entrusted to him.
When our Mother, Mother Teresa, was starting her work for the poorest of the poor, she too ceased gazing at her own fears and fixed her gaze instead on the Heart of Jesus, surrendering herself completely in His hands. She was then freed to become the mother of souls.

May each one of us, whatever our age, nationality, health, abilities, social status or religion, receive this grace of ceasing to gaze upon our miseries, failures and wounds and fixing our gaze rather on the Heart of God. We will thus be freed to love with God* s love our families, friends and all those with whom we come in contact.

you do with us and for us in our service of the poor, and above all for praying for us. Please pray for our sisters who are engaged in relief work in north Kerala, India, assisting the victims of land and water pollution caused by the use of a pesticide. Hundreds of people are now suffering from cancer, blindness, infertility, congenital deformities and other diseases. Please continue to pray for all the materially and spiritually poorest of the poor around the world.

I commend to your prayer also, the repose of the soul of Rev. Father Lawrence Abello S.J., probably known to those of you who have spent time in Kolkata. Fr. Abello died on 22 January 2012 of a malignant brain tumor detected three months earlier. Father Abello was a selfless and tireless priest who used his God-given gifts of the intellect to present the Truth clearly to all. He drew many people to God by his very life of simplicity, honesty, courage and dedication.
Let us together thank God for the gift of Jesus' Resurrection; for the love, joy and hope He has poured into our hearts. You and your families are in my prayer.